


Of Monsters and Humanity

by Diary



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 04, Awkward Conversations, Bechdel Test Fail, Canon Character of Color, Canon Gay Character, Canon Queer Character, Dark Character, Disturbing Themes, Episode AU: s04e21 A Few Good Women, Family, Friendship/Love, Gen, Late Night Conversations, Mystery, POV Multiple, Post-Season/Series 03 AU, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-09 01:12:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6883018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU of 'A Few Good Women' and 'You Can't Take Command'. Cyrus learns about Eli's plan to blackmail Mellie before it happens. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Monsters and Humanity

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Scandal.

Once the guards leave and Cyrus sits down, Tom notes, “Elizabeth North is giving you headaches, again.”

“Yes,” Cyrus wearily answers. “Not that Secret Service isn’t doing their fair share. And you. Mellie is meeting a big donor tomorrow. In Springfield. Lizzie Bear and them have been arguing over what Foxtail can and can’t do. Never mind what Susan did earlier-”

“What’s the donor’s name?”

Giving a surprised look, Cyrus asks, “What?”

“The donor’s name, sir,” Tom says.

“Why would I tell you that?”

For a moment, there’s silence. “Mrs Grant is Foxfire. Hal was ready to fight for her to be designated as such. I suggested Foxtail, and Command followed my lead. If Secret Service has suddenly changed her code designation-”

“Oh, for the love God,” Cyrus mutters. He starts to stand up. “Sorry, Tom, but I won’t be making my ten minute mark this week.”

“If you tell me the donor’s name, I might be able to tell you what Command is up to.”

“Even if I trusted you to do that and not somehow use this to your advantage or his, I couldn’t. I’ve been actively trying to tune all of this out.”

Tom starts reciting names, and when he gets to “Baker”, Cyrus pauses.

Seeing this, Tom lets out a slight breath. “I don’t know what he’ll use, but Command is going to blackmail Mrs Grant. There’s something in the White House that he wants. I don’t know whether he can’t get it through other means or if the blackmail itself is the point.”

“Sorry about this, Tom,” Cyrus says. “Not that that I’m not grateful.”

Tom nods.

…

“What about Tom,” Fitz asks. “If he-

“I had him put in solitary. No access to outside communications for 24-hours,” Cyrus answers.

“And you can do that?”

“Yes,” Mellie answers. “Fitz, I haven’t done- What could this man have on me?”

“It doesn’t have to be something on you necessarily,” Cyrus says. “There are methods of blackmail than just threatening to expose someone. Right now, we need to focus on making sure he doesn’t get close to you. What about David’s secret grand jury?”

Shaking her head, Mellie demands, “Both of you, tell me right now all about this B6-13 organisation and Tom killing my son on this man’s orders.”

Sighing, Fitz coaxes her onto the couch. “Okay,” he agrees. “Let’s start with Olivia. Her father, Eli Pope, is…”

...

Tom blinks. “Mrs Grant.”

Nodding for the guards to leave, Mellie sits down. “Why did you kill Jerry? You liked him, Tom. I could- no, I couldn’t understand anyone killing a defenceless child, but you and the other Secret Service agents used to let him play basketball with you. You listened to him talk more than Fitz or I ever did. You seemed to genuinely care about him.”

“He was a sacrifice, Mrs Grant. You know how close I was to Hal, and I think you knew better than most how most how much- I was very protective of Cyrus Beene. I would have killed them if it meant Sally Langston wasn’t elected.”

She continues to stare.

“He was one boy. You and the President were better parents than many. Aside from Command giving me the order, I thought of all the other children in this country.”

“With Sally Langston’s views, how many of them would make it to fifteen? How many would die at that age? Babies people were ill-equipped to take care of or simply didn’t want would be born. A child who was in some way different, different in ways that they might not even be able to explain, from their classmates and family would hear President Langston condemning what they are. They’d grow up not only feeling that there’s something personally wrong inside of them, possibly dealing with other people who agreed, but also with the feeling they weren’t true citizens of this country. The President herself tells them and others that misery and Hell is all they deserve.”

“That would be terrible,” Mellie agrees. “I’d normally make disclaimer about not being heartless, but- Why didn’t you just kill Sally, then? Her daughter? Hal or Cyrus or even me? Anyone but my child.”

“Command gave me an order. I followed it. It’s personal to you. It wasn’t to me.”

“Why did he want Jerry specifically?”

“He didn’t. He told me to leave baby Teddy alone.” Shifting slightly, he tells her, “Ms Pope manipulated the paternity results, Mrs Grant. He was your child, and I’d never expect you to thank me for what I did. But I didn’t kill President Grant’s son.”

Putting her arms on the table, Mellie puts her head between them and begins to sob.

…

Cyrus looks up when the door to his office opens. “Mellie.”

“Cy.” She closes the door and sits down. “During your visits with Tom, did you ever ask him about Jerry?”

“No. When Rowan had him stabbed, I thought it might be an opportunity. In exchange for me visiting, he tells me about B6-13.”

“Big Jerry hurt me,” she blurts out. “And nine months later, baby Jerry was born.”

Setting his pen down, Cyrus simply looks at her.

“I kept all of his baby teeth,” she continues. “This time I was smarter, more discreet, about it. Fitz only has one son. He would have loved Jerry, anyways, and he would still be just as devastated. But he didn’t lose a son, a child.”

“Since James and I adopted Ella, I’d have to say I disagree,” he replies. “Even when it comes to Michael. I’m- no one would call me a good father. I pay for everything she needs, give her almost everything she wants, and occasionally play with her. That doesn’t make me a father. The papers I signed do, yes, but more than that, I love her. I’d rather die than have anything happen to her. She doesn’t have to share my blood or even my colour to be mine. Michael- it’s cruel, but I can’t let him adopt her. He’s more of a father than a stepfather, though. Like James, he’s a parent. He never had any obligation to be part of her life, but since he first moved in, he’s been wonderful with her. After the wedding, after we made peace, the bond between them grew even more.”

“Fitz isn’t the biological father. We both know, if a complete stranger had hurt you and your baby had absolutely no connection to Fitz, if you let him, he still would have loved you and it. Even after you and he stopped working, he was always going to love the child you had while he was holding your hand.”

Nodding, she makes a small sound. “I’m going to talk to Fitz. If you talked to Tom, you might be able to convince him to join Jake and the others. If he testified against Rowan, retroactive immunity could be granted.”

“I’m sorry, you’ve lost me. You’re suggesting that the man who killed your son be let go?”

Laughing, Mellie shakes. “Yeah,” she finally says. “I am. Personally, part of me hopes he’s hit by a bus the minute he leaves. I’d kill him myself if he tried to rejoin the Secret Service. That aside- He’s just a screwed up puppet Eli Pope got a hold of. Once this- Command is gone, he’s not going to kill any more children. I’m not sure what he could or might do, but- puppets aren’t evil. They only do evil things when someone evil is pulling their strings. Might as well give his cell to a serial rapist or someone who shot up an entire school full of children.”

…

Taking a sip of his drink, Fitz asks, “What do you think, Cyrus? Your honest opinion. Whatever some test says, I lost my son. But according to David, we desperately need more operatives willing to testify. So, do I release the gun in order to get the person who pulled the trigger, or is it too dangerous? No one else is going to be hurt by Rowan or anyone else in B6-13.”

“Do you honestly think you could live with Tom being free?”

“I don’t know,” Fitz answers. “After Jerry being gone, the worst part is that I liked Tom. I felt a sense of pity towards him. So young, so serious, and assuming his file was actually real, an orphan who never had anyone give him anything he didn’t earn, somehow managing to get here. I hoped he’d find real happiness someday. Was afraid he wouldn’t.”

Cyrus sighs. “Here’s the thing, sir. I acknowledge the tragedy of your loss, but I will never be as affected as you.”

“No, of course not,” Fitz agrees.

“Part of me thinks Tom deserves a chance more than most of the others. It’s no secret I’d love to see Jake Ballard dead. Most of these agents are twisted, vicious, sadistic, and psychopathic. They like doing horrible things. Tom, he might have some sociopathic tendencies, but he doesn’t strike me as one who has ever been cruel for cruelty’s sake. His devotion is- was, maybe, more based on what Rowan gave him: attention, occasional instances of kindness, and so on. Some of them, they believed in the cause Rowan led, and some of them, they wanted to remain on his good side so that they could keep doing horrible things.”

“And the other part,” Fitz asks.

“And the other part- Supermax might just be the best place for Tom and the best place for everyone else to have him. There are other people like Rowan out of there, and with Tom’s skills-” He shakes his head. “He may not like it, which is the point, no one is supposed to like supermax, but he’s alive, he has a routine, and in some ways, he’s freer than he’s ever been. He obeys the rules, he gets privileges. He’s not anyone’s puppet, however.”

“Finally, I don’t know if Tom would even accept the deal. Telling me certain things in order to have a visitor isn’t the same as irrevocably turning on Command.”

Fitz looks at him for a long moment. “Offer him the deal, Cy.”

“If you think the deal should be offered, I don’t object. Maybe the person offering it, though-”

“I’m willing to let him go if it brings Rowan and B6-13 down. I’m not going to sit in the same room with him again if I can ever help it. Neither is Mellie. Who knows if he’d listen to Liv or David? But whether he agrees or not, he’ll, at least, listen to you.”

“I suppose I do have that effect,” he comments.

“More than you realise,” Fitz says. Standing up, he clasps his shoulder. “Goodnight, Cyrus.”

…

Cyrus sits down, opens his soda, and pushes the deal across the table. “Immunity, partly retroactive. You testify against Rowan, and all crimes, including the murder of Jerry Thomas Grant, you committed as a B6-13 operative can’t be used against you. You’ll be released.”

“How that does that work?”

“Get a lawyer, if you want,” Cyrus advises. “I know why you didn’t, but if you had before, a decent one might have been able to keep you from being found guilty.”

“You know me better than a lawyer would. Explain this to me in terms I’ll understand.”

Sighing, Cyrus takes a drink, nods, and begins.

“What do you think? About me taking the deal?”

“I think you know better than any of us if this will work or not. You do know the risks of you helping, and then, this not working better than we do. If you don’t help, and it does work, on the other hand, you’ll have missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Tom looks at the paper for a long moment. Looking back up, he asks, “Do you think I’m a monster?”

Letting out a loud sigh, Cyrus responds, “Really? Really, Tom? You want to have a philosophical discussion now? Tell me, what are you trying to avoid by staying in this room?”

“Nothing,” Tom answers. “I don’t know if we, B6-13 operatives, were once people, but when gods create minions, they don’t create creatures with humanity inside them. Command made me. You didn’t see me before, but now, you do. I’m just wondering if you can tell me what I am.”

Rubbing his head, Cyrus says, “I read a quote once, ‘There is no freedom as sweet as knowing you are terrible and accepting it.’ Once upon a time, I was genuinely idealistic. I wanted to help people. I wanted to serve this country.”

“Rowan didn’t happen to me. Nothing happened to me but me. I decided I wanted power and the respect I felt I hadn’t gotten enough of when I was younger. I could have done things to truly help people. I could have decided on a quiet, comfortable life and not hurt anyone. You remember Amanda Tanner?”

Tom nods.

Quietly, Cyrus says, “You didn’t kill the President’s child. There will never be a concrete answer, but I might have. A young, confused woman, barely more than a girl, was hurt and manipulated, victimised, by men playing games. I killed her and the baby inside her. Yet, you’re the one in chains, and I’m the one who’s going to walk out of these walls when we’re done talking.”

“All of which is my way of saying: Yes, you’re a monster. Whatever made you, it doesn’t change that. You always will be one. In the end, punishing yourself and trying to atone or embracing this and getting as much as you can out of it won’t matter. Or at least, not very much. Monsters have to decide what they can live with and what they can’t the same way ordinary people do. They have to decide what to risk and what not.”

“Really,” he finishes, “the only difference between you and I and ordinary people is that ordinary people are human and capable of being heroes. You and I, we look human, and personally, I still see some humanity in both of us, but we’re not. Nothing can ever completely wipe away the evil we’ve unleashed. No amount of good will ever make us anything resembling heroic. I accept this, and I sleep fine at night. Whether you accept this or not, I don’t know. I can’t advise you on whether you should or shouldn’t.”

There’s silence.

“I need a pen,” Tom announces.

…

“Tom’s been moved into protective custody. We have Jake, Charlie, and Huck. All the jurors are safe. I have to wonder what might go wrong,” Fitz tells Cyrus.

“So do I,” Cyrus answers.

“How’d you get Tom to sign?”

“I didn’t. I offered him the choice, and he took it. He didn’t say why. I didn’t ask.”

“Well, it worked. If this truly means Rowan goes down-”

“Yes,” Cyrus says. “It’s been a long day. I’m going to go home a little early.”

“Sounds good,” Fitz says.

…

“Hey,” Michael greets from the living room floor. “Ella, sweetie, let me stand up.”

Laughing, Cyrus leans down to pick her up. “Hey, sweetheart. Having fun trying to crush Uncle Michael?”

“I wasn’t trying to crush him. He was doing sit-ups,” she informs him.

“Trying to do sit-ups,” Michael corrects. He stands up. “She saw a commercial with a man doing push-ups with a dog sitting on his back. So, we decided we’d see if I could do sit-ups with her on me.”

Reaching over, he takes her. “Have you eaten? Ella and I have, but there’s still plenty left over.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Cyrus says. “Hey, why don’t you two have some ice-cream or popsicles and eat with me?”

“Really? I mean, what do you think, Ella?”

“Berry popsicle, please!” She squirms in his arms.

Putting her down, he warns, “Be careful.”

“I will,” she promises.

Once she’s ran off, Michael says, “Not that I’m complaining-”

“Today- it wasn’t so much bad as it was exhausting, and I literally can’t talk about most of it due to matters of national security. I just want to spend some time with Ella and with you and try not to think about it.”

“Okay,” Michael says. Smiling slightly, he reaches over and takes Cyrus’s hand. “Why don’t you go change? I’ll have the spaghetti reheated and the ice-cream and popsicles out by the time you’re done."

“Thank you,” Cyrus softly tells him.

“No problem.”

…

After dinner, they watch TV on Cyrus’s bed until Ella falls asleep. Michael starts to pick her up, and Cyrus reaches over and touches his arm. “No,” he says. “I want her to stay. If you wanted- you could, too.”

Michael nods. “You gonna take your shower tonight?”

“I’ll do it in the morning.”

“Well, let me, at least, rearrange her. Get up for a minute, okay?”

Cyrus complies, and soon, all three are in bed with Ella in the middle.

…

“Tom is missng,” Fitz says. “The agents in charge of watching him are all alive and unharmed. No one knows whether this was an escape, a kidnapping, or body disposal.”

Mellie groans.

Cyrus rubs his head. “What about the others?”

“They’re still all accounted for. I’ve got people on the street discreetly looking for him, but-” He lets the sentence hang.


End file.
